Kim Shook

They look delicious anyway! Did you sift the powdered sugar? That could be the problem, if you didn't. Otherwise, not a clue.

Prawn and MiFi are just killing me with the carbonara - I have to have that soon!!! Last night was Robin Miller's (Food TV) Melt-In-Your-Mouth BBQ'd Ribs, southern beans, ziti with sour cream & Parm and slaw: We really liked the sauce - it was unusual. Not smoky or too spicy, but it was tangy and the combination of spices was really good. Dessert was a brownie mix fix up that I got from Randi's blog. Just brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli) with Symphony bars baked between the layers of batter: These were just so good! I really like the Ghirardelli mix - it's the second best I've ever tried (the Barefoot Contessa brand is the best) and I don't mind using it at all if I don't have time to make from scratch.

Randi! I made the those brownie mix/Symphony brownies from your blog . They were so good. I brought them to work and they have just been scarfed up. Someone even recognized the 'recipe' !

Nancy - those are some awesome pancakes!! I especially love the inside view! What is hickory syrup like?

TACO FLAVORED DORITOS ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am very excited. They are in a very dark bag that says "They're back by popular demand" and also "For a limited time" . Why? There are entire websites with petitions that you can sign calling for the return of them. So why doesn't Frito Lay want to sell them? Anyway, they are here for now. I will begin gorging now.

Wonderful! Keeping in mind what you said about burgers being basically fast food at home and people not getting that burgers can be great food, how did they go over with your parents? Or had you already converted them ?

Yes, just glue. I found a craft glue the works on everything and is dishwasher-safe. I just hope it holds!

I was too lazy to type it all out. Its Dec 05!! ← Thank you, ma'am - I'll look for it!

Rob – loved the blueberry-lemon curd tarts – one of my favorite flavor combinations! Lisa – I went straight to your blog and printed out your recipe for that Choc-PB tart. My mom says that if God made anything better than chocolate, He kept it for Himself – if you added peanut butter to that saying, I’d agree completely. I cannot wait to make that, but will say right now, mine will not be nearly as gorgeous as yours! Well done! Randi – I like the whole idea of the Black Forest Cake – the flavors, the ability to make it ahead and the layers. I didn’t see the recipe on your blog – I probably have the issue, if you’ll tell me which one its in. Shelby – The cupcakes look delicious and I love the liners, too! These are some cupcakes that I was trying out to make for the kids in our family for Halloween: They were Caramel-Apple Cupcakes. Just applesauce-spice cake with caramel topping. Very good cake – tight crumb and very light. They were amazingly easy to make and had a nice little dome on them.

Sabrosita – I love the pho idea! I also like Lilija’s idea of including bowls. What I’d do is stack 4 bowls together, put the ingredients in the top bowl and tie them together with a gorgeous bow. Lilija – I think that candy works great as a gift – most people manage some kind of cookies, but not candy – that would be a real treat. Also, fudge freezes really well, you could make it anytime now and have it done. Susan – re: the peach ‘syrup’, I bottle ‘syrup’ every time that I make pear preserves – the end of the pot never has much in the way of fruit, but I’m not willing to sacrifice that glorious nectar and everyone loves it on waffles, ice cream, etc. Sometimes I’ll add a little extra seasoning (ginger, five spice – even a little hot pepper) and boil it down some more and use it to glaze ham or pork. I finished those appetizer picks that I mentioned: Just turkey lacers with beads. I liked how they turned out.

Shaya - so nice to "see" you! That pork bun looks amazing! Daniel - that steak house dinner made me so hungry. It is just perfect. Creamed spinach is actually why I go to steakhouses (that and Oyster Rockefeller ) - mine never tastes as good as theirs! Bridgestone - ANOTHER amazing steak! Just gorgeous! Shelby - Lovely canning - I don't think I'm going to get to much of that this fall, somehow. Although Mr. Kim would kill for those jalepenos! MiFi - what's that cool looking pasta under the lamb ragu? The 'salad' last night was tomatoes, some of the last of summer's marinated cucumbers and some huge, crunchy radish slices. I had leftover meatloaf and made meatloaf sandwiches with bbq sauce and frizzled onions on garlic cheese bread. Also roasted potatoes. I've done this sandwich a few times. We love cold meatloaf sandwiches, but this is a nice change:

Wonderful! I am so jealous of both Klary and Rob ! I am going straight to the report and read now!

← Thank you so much, Pal! I think that even though it didn't specify, this recipe was meant for the larger sheets. I've got a ton of phyllo left, so next time I'll just use a lot more sheets! It did taste good - it just needed more flakiness in the pastry .

Ilana and Percyn - Thanks for the good wishes, I'll pass them on. He's just been amazed at all the eGulleteers that have sent wishes for his recovery! He's doing very well considering that he had major surgery just a couple of weeks ago. He's up and around and all the results of the tests have been good. I haven't been cooking much since then, but I did manage breakfast yesterday. We had Cheddar-chive scrambled eggs (with that lovely bacon salt you recommended, Percyn ), Benton's bacon, fruit and chocolate croissants from Trader Joe's (we are very, very happy to have a Whole Food and a Trader Joe's open near us in the last month!): Percyn - Mr. Kim would lose his mind over that corned beef hash! It is his absolute favorite breakfast and what he always orders. Usually it's just ok, but occasionally at a really good brunch, we'll get a good one, but never as lovely as yours! And with a perfect poached egg on top! Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians! Have a wonderful, delicious day!

Plating of meals in restaurants seems to change as often as styles in the rest of the world. I remember when everything - apps, mains and desserts was stacked as high as possible, with swords of something edible stuck through the tower so that it could make it to table without toppling. Visually stunning, but hard to eat. I don't know what chefs are doing everywhere else, but in my area everyone seems to be doing the same thing and I'm tired of it. Big giant plates with a squiggle or smear of sirachi (does sirachi really go with everything?) and a littering of anonymous vegetable and herb bits. I'm ready for the next thing. So, restaurant folks, stylists - what's up? What are people in NY and SF and elsewhere more cosmopolitan than Richmond, VA seeing? Maybe a retro plate? A lemon half in net panties and a big wad of curly parsley?

I just bought Bittman Takes on America’s Chefs. I haven't finished reading it yet or cooked anything from it. From my perusal, it seems interesting and well written and the chefs are wonderful ones. All good. Except for the photos. They are distractingly bad. Bad color, not in focus, etc. Sometimes you can't even tell what you are looking at. In one shot, I was convinced I was looking at chicken with butter beans and they ended up being olives. The photos reminded me of the ones you find in those old series books. This is a $25 book by a famous, accomplished cookbook author involving chefs who are established and very much the real deal. How do you put out a book with such lousy pictures? Did I end up getting a flawed copy somehow? The text is fine. Anyone else seen this book and notice this?

I found some fun stuff at a local antique/junk store yesterday. They had lots of the Time/Life “The Good Cook” series. I got Hors d’Oeuvre and Snacks and Sandwiches for $3 each and Bittman Takes on America’s Chefs for $4: I’m planning to go back every week and get a couple more of the T/L series each time. Hope they last! I also found a pyrex insert for the hammered aluminum decorative server that I found at the Farmer’s Market this spring. $4: These were my favorite finds, though: I got 4 of each – they didn’t have 8 of either one. But I don’t mind mixing – actually, I guess mixing styles is my style . They are wafer thin, etched with lovely designs and have a musical ‘ting’ when touched together. The glass on the bottom is the prettiest. The picture doesn't show off the design - little star shapes and the round depressions - the edges of the cut glass are sharp and crisp. I am imagining them filled with mousse, pot du crème, strawberries and cream. They were $16 for all eight. I have no idea where I’m going to put them, but I love them and will find somewhere.

Abra - thanks for the recommendation and the link. We all adore toffee in our family! So far, I am making little cheese/appetizer picks from turkey lacer needles and beads. Hope they turn out well. I'll post pics if they do.

David - oh.my.goodness!!!! That salad with the big crouton and the melted cheese??? Wow - that looks amazing! I am very jealous of the whole huckleberry thing! And those meals that you posted yesterday seemed to reflect some yearning to be further south . Chicken pie is in my near future - that looked wonderful. Daniel - that ribeye looked so good, but I missed an 'inside' view! My dad loves his egg! Also, it's 10:55am and I want one of those speck pizzas for lunch! And I loved the expression of perplexed disgruntlement on the one that missed her (his?) bones because the humans got them instead - "Meat iz urs, bonz iz MINE" . Pille - that pumpkin loaf looks sooooo good! petite tête de chou - that pizza made Mr. Kim gasp out loud! Gorgeous! MiFi - I'll add a slice of tart with some of Daniel's pizza to my lunch order! Not cooking much lately - we are still eating out of the freezer and what everyone has so generously sent to us. But last night I needed to COOK something. To chop and season and...just make something. I tried out a recipe I'd found for the pressure cooker. It was Pork Loin Chops w/ Red Cabbage & Apples from a book called The Best Pressure Cooker Recipes by Cinda Chavich. Someone on another site recommended Lorna Sass as someone who tests her recipes, so I got one of her books from the library and will start experimenting with those. Both of the Chavich recipes that I've tried have been less than successful - which, I admit, may be my fault, rather than the fault of the recipes! The BBQ chicken I tried scorched really badly and the advice I was given was that there was probably too much sugar and not enough liquid called for. This recipe was a little bland. The sauce that is made from reducing the cooking liquid was good, but the cabbage was a little blah. Next time, I'll add some of the ingredients that are in the braised red cabbage recipe that I use and that we love so much - thyme, red wine, brown sugar (just a touch).

Percyn – that corned beef is gorgeous! What did you do with it? I’d love to see a slice. Ilana – that omelet sandwich sounds great. I often do similar things with leftovers from weekend breakfasts for quick weekday breakfasts. You’re right, they are better hot, but not bad at all room temperature. Well, I’ve hardly cooked a thing since Mr. Kim had his surgery, but I did make breakfast this morning. Eggs Benedict with biscuits and Benton’s bacon instead of English muffins and Canadian bacon. Also hash browns: Mr. Kim is doing much better, but feeling worse in some ways – itchy, sore, reactivating nerves, less narcotics. So he’s better, but tired, bored, and miserable. And as Mr. I’ll Handle It, he feels guilty and weird having to accept help.

I tend to cook "to the crowd" - roasted beef or pork for non-adventuresome MIL, all out for anything goes MIL, experiments for friends who are close enough to say that it didn't work and not mind breakfast for dinner in that case. That said, here are some links for dishes that I've served over and over again to raves and requests for recipes. They are particularly suited to the cooler weather, too. James Beard's Pastitsio is a huge, satisfying and delicious casserole. Braised Lamb Shanks w/ Caramelized Onions Grilled Leg of Lamb w/ Feta-Herb Salsa is unusual, impressive and really easy to make. Short Ribs w/ Caramelized Onions and Hoisin Chicken w/ Marsala, Figs & Goat Cheese Hope these are of some help! Let us know what you do and how it went!

This is reminding me of something, but since I probably wouldn't have read a book on wine, maybe it was a magazine article? Food and Wine or Wine Spectator, perhaps?

Just finished this last night. I have to agree with the two of you on both her strengths and weaknesses. Like Fatguy, I really agreed with her conclusions about 'authenticity'. I also liked her apparent appreciation for ethnic-American styles of cooking and how it is really a separate food from what people actually eat in the countries that have inspired them - different, but often very good, so good that they count as comfort food for Americans, especially those living abroad where that style isn't available.

My grandmother's recipe for pear preserves works just fine with unripe pears as long as they still taste ok.

I adore my Nesco and wouldn't part with it for anything. I haven't cooked a turkey or ham any other way since I've had it (10 years, or so). Giant amount of stew, chili, soup, etc. Warming rolls for a large crowd. As a warm server for bbq. In mild and dry weather, I've even put it outside to cook and that really frees up the kitchen space. If someone made me choose between that and my food processor, the food processor would be out the door (but please don't make me choose between my KA and my Nesco! ).